Back from California!

View of Downtown Long Beach, CA from Signal Hill--Where's the sunshine?!

Well, I just got back to Cedar Rapids last night after a 3 week stay with my family for the holidays. Thank you, Coach Kris, for braving the snow (and deer) to pick me up from the airport! It was great to get the chance to go back to California after 4 months in my new home in Iowa.

The break started with my flight in to LAX where it simultaneously took me an hour to retrieve my checked bag and for my mom to drive around the arrivals loop to pick me up! I was supposed to miss out on some of the Iowa winter and enjoy the sunny weather of Southern California, but upon arrival, it rained for 6 straight days! One of the tournaments I had planned on visiting--California Bowl--was rained out, but fortunately I had plenty more opportunities to watch some great tennis. I drove around to tournaments in Claremont, Cypress, Costa Mesa, Lakewood, and Seal Beach. Unsurprisingly, most of the people I ran into had not heard of Coe College, but there were several who were aware of us from emails we have sent out to potential recruits. Also, I was approached by a current teaching pro (and LA native) who told me that he played his college tennis at Drake University (a Division I school in Des Moines), and that he played a match against a Coe player back in the mid '90s! Even with my limited knowledge of Coe tennis history, I was able to surmise that he must have played 1996 All-American, Jon Turbett, as his most vivid memory was that "he was the only guy who's serve I was actually scared to return!"

I would like to thank Tim Donovan and Donovan Tennis Strategies for putting on the College Prospects Showcase (at the Claremont Colleges, the site of this year's NCAA Championships)--it is a great event for junior players to learn about the college tennis recruiting process, get exposure to coaches from across the country, and play in a team format similar to a college match. I found it very valuable from a coach's perspective to see potential recruits compete and it was great to meet several players (and parents) who have shown an interest Coe.

Of course, it was not all just recruiting during my time in California--I had a relaxing Christmas and New Year's with family and was able to hit the courts myself a couple of times when it was not raining. It was funny to hear so many people complaining about how cold it was, when the temperature rarely dipped below 50 degrees--I guess the Iowa weather has made me a little more thick-skinned!

All in all, I had a great time and was glad for the opportunity to get some exposure for the Coe tennis program in Southern California. I am happy to be back in Cedar Rapids and looking forward to the upcoming season! There is a lot of hard work to be done, but all of the coaches (and hopefully the players!) are excited and prepared for the challenges ahead!